An Alien in Need, Is a Friend Indeed
by Elder Dragon Izanagi
Summary: Dadab, the smartest Grunt in the Covenant, has mysteriously found himself in Equestria, and he's not alone. With him came an overly bossy Kig-Yar pirate, and a peace-loving Engineer. What shall the strange trio find in this magical new world? Glory? Treasure? New Powers? A Home? Or will they find more then they bargained for?
1. Rude Welcoming

Chapter 1: Rude Welcoming

Dadab awoke with a painful jolt. He put a four-fingered hand to his forehead, moaning. His thick cranium felt like a crushed watermelon, if aliens ate earth fruit. Not only that, his limbs felt like they were noodles. And wherever location he was in, the sunlight hurt his eyes. His current condition was comparable to that of a young person after a night of hard partying.

To make matters worse for the alien, his gas meter told him his methane supply was running dangerously short. He would have to hit the gas somewhere, somehow, or he would eventually suffocate in a few hours.

After a misfortunate encounter with a certain Brute's Fist of Rukt hammer, it would seem karma was not yet done with the poor Unggoy. With another weary groan, the short, stocky alien pulled himself up from the ground, and sniffed the air.

It smelled sweet, thick, and warm. Warm...not cold, which meant no methane to breathe, only oxygen. He made finding a gas supply his number one priority. His second, find out where in the Great Journey's name he was.

Looking around, he discovered he was at the edge of some kind of large, dark, scary looking forest. The land around the forest though was positively beautiful, colorful, and peaceful looking. Flowers, tall grasses, and bird songs dominated the area. Much like Harvest, where Dadab last remembered being.

This gave him an idea, maybe he _was _still on Harvest, but he had gotten knocked out somehow in his fight against the mohawked-bad guy Tartarus. Still thinking about the fight, a loud noise brought the Grunt's surroundings back to his attention. He heard what sounded like ragged breathing.

Dadab looked around again, this time to the ground near him. Laying in the grass, was the source of the annoying wheezing. It was a Kig-Yar, a jackal.

The bird like alien was face down, apparently unaware of the grunt's presence. Dadab picked up a twig, and poked the other alien twice. It twitched, but did not roll over. With a grunt of effort, the Unggoy flipped the jackal over onto it's back to get a good look at it.

It's avian-reptilian head gave it the appearance of a buzzard or falcon crossed with an alligator. What distinguished it, however, was the lack of spines on it's head. This one was a female, and one Dadab knew. He checked his belt, and seeing his plasma pistol, he swiftly pulled it out, training it on the Kig-Yar.

As the jackal came to, she saw the Unggoy, and narrowed her ruby-red eyes. She started chattering to him rapidly in the Kig-Yar language. Neither was obviously happy to see the other. The jackal in front of Dadab was none other than Shipmistress Chur'R-Yar, or Chur for short. Well, _former _shipmistress, that was until she blew up the Minor Transgression in an effort to stop a Human from taking the valuable treasure Chur had been secretly hoarding onboard. In the ensuing explosion, she nearly killed Dadab and his engineer friend, Lighter Than Some, but they survived. The rest of the crew was not lucky enough to say the same.

Naturally, Dadab could be forgiven for wanting to attack the jackal. Just as he was about to respond to Chur's angry chattering tirade, something in the corner of his vision caught his attention.

Up in the sky, Dadab saw briefly what resembled some kind of winged quadruped creature, flying to somewhere away from the forest. It didn't give any indication it had seen him, and had continued on it's flight path to parts unknown. Writing it off as nothing for now, the grunt finally spoke.

"What you angry about? I'm not the one who blew up the ship. You tried to blow me and Lighter Than Some up, birdbrain."

Chur chattered something back. This angered Dadab further. "Who are you calling a useless gas sucker?" Chur chattered in response, this time with a mocking tone.

"No, I was not hopped up on infusion. I would like to see you fight scary Human with this little thing. I wanted plasma rifle, but big old meanie quartermaster said I was too much of a half-pint. The nerve of that guy!" Dadab began pounding the grass with his fists in frustration.

The jackal had finally stood up. At her full height, she was almost a head taller than Dadab. She still had her shield gauntlet on her wrist, as well as her needler at her hip. She carried both things with her at all times. She now stared down at the grunt.

"Me wish Lighter Than Some was still here. I need more gas." Dadab declared. Chur merely shrugged at him, indicating she had no idea how to solve his problem. Dadab started to throw a fit, but then he calmed down. "I think we are still on human planet Harvest. Maybe there are friends nearby, they have gas for me?"

While Chur'R-Yar had no strong desire to follow a lowly grunt around, she figured it would be better to try and find a nearby Covenant position with a grunt under her command rather than alone, for fear she might be mistaken as a deserter. And as a bonus, she could get the no-good gas sucker out of her feathers for good.

She chattered an order to Dadab. "I no like you, but I might as well follow you, if it will get me Methane. Following, boss!" He replied. At that Char got a look at their surroundings. She wasn't about to go into the dark forest, the grunt would be too cowardly to enter with her anyhow.

Looking over her shoulder she noticed what resembled a dirt road of some kind leading off over a hill. Chur was willing to gamble that her allies had established an encampment along it in hopes of ambushing human travelers. Where there were Covenant, there would be gas for Unggoy, and a ticket back home. But just before the pair could set off, something shook in the bushes near them. It made a growling noise.

Without hesitation, Chur ignited her shield, and equipped her needler, crouching into a defensive stance. Dadab readied his pistol as well. Without warning, the potential threat decided to take that moment to strike.

Ten quadruped creatures with long snouts and bulbous, glowing green eyes leaped out of the overgrowth at the edge of the forest. What was weird about them was that they were seemingly made of wood. They stood in a pack, growling at their next meal before them.

Chur had many plans, and being breakfast for indigenous wildlife was not one of them. She fired seven rounds from her needler, the pink crystalline projectiles homed in on their targets. One of the beasts was struck with all seven, and it exploded into a pink explosion, a supercombine. The blast blew it and the one next to it into a pile of burning wood fragments. The Kig-Yar chattered in amusement.

Counterattacking, the beasts attempted to get around her shield, but Dadab provided cover fire on her flank with his pistol, stopping them, and injuring two of the creatures. The short alien pulled out a blue sphere from a pouch in his armor, and pressed the button in it's center, causing it to pulse with a blue light.

Tossing it at one of the beasts, he shouted, "Here's one for your momma!" It stuck to one of them, causing it to yelp in alarm. The plasma grenade detonated, bathing it and four more of it's comrades in a superheated anti-matter explosion. Only three of the beasts now stood alive.

With no bravado remaining, the beasts retreated back into the dark canopy of the forest, whimpering loudly as they ran. "We're champions!" Dadab exclaimed. He started jumping up and down excitedly. Chur simply blinked at him.

"What?" The jackal chirped something back to him.

"What do you mean it was just lucky throw? Grunts can be good fighters too ya know!" Chur responded simply with what had to be the jackal version of a chuckle.

Dadab didn't say anything much else after this, as they set off down the road. After about ten minutes had past, they chanced upon something.

Instead of finding a Covenant encampment, or even a gun or vehicle emplacement, they found some kind of town. Something was odd though. It looked nothing like the Human settlements that were supposed to be dotting the countryside.

The buildings were not metal or concrete, but wood, bricks, thatch, and other more primitive building materials. Even stranger, one of the buildings seemed to actually be a hollowed out tree. Seeing that particular structure, Chur was instantly reminded of Kig-Yar houses in the forests of Eayn, where she was born. Feeling nostalgic, and at least a little bit nervous, she ordered Dadab to follow her into the village.

As they neared the small town, they duo finally got a glimpse of its inhabitants. Instead of humans, as the aliens had been expecting, they resembled the large quadruped creature Dadab had seen earlier, except for the fact that all the ones they could see at the moment either had no wings, or possessed some kind of horn on their foreheads. None of them had seen the duo yet.

"I no think we're on Harvest anymore, Shipmistress." Dadab declared, quite nervously. Chur chattered back.

"Alright, I'm moving boss." He ran, using his arms to speed himself up, and prepared to enter the town.

The jackal readied her shield, but did not yet draw her needler from her hip. Grunts were always cannon fodder, and if Dadab's meeting with these strange creatures turned awry, he would distract them long enough for Chur to make a quick getaway into the nearby woods. As she stood and carefully observed Dadab walking awkwardly into the settlement, she did not realize somepony was watching her from the nearby woods along the side of the road.

"What are _those _two doing here?" The voice said with a haughty tone.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie only requires _you_ for her purposes. You are to play an important role in my plans, my floating luminescent little friend."

The subject of her words responded with a soft series of whistles. Its body flashed blue lights across the sacks that kept it airborne.

"Trixie cannot understand you dear, but she knows _you _can understand her. If your friends attempt to interfere with my plans by rescuing you, The Great and Powerful Trixie, will have to dispose of them. Mark my words, that annoying unicorn will get what's coming to her, and if anypony, even an alien, tries to get in my way, they will be dealt with severely."

The Engineer Lighter Than Some responded with a distressed whistle, and curled up into a ball, trying to shy away from the azure-colored unicorn. His buoyancy sacks glowed purple.

Trixie laughed malevolently at the peaceful Huragok's discomfort. "Plans, plans, plans." She trotted off, tugging the alien along her using her magic. The Engineer was too frightened to fight back. Trixie laughed more intensely as she went, disappearing into the shadows of the overgrowth.


	2. Gas for Dadab?

Chapter 2

Gas for Dadab?

Quite unlike his 'boss', Dadab had no reservations or inhibitions about meeting with what seemed to be a strange new species. What irked him though, was how his companion had forced him to meet with the locals by himself. He may be smart, but the Unggoy was no diplomat, or politician. That was the Prophets' jobs.

Just before he entered the town to announce his presence, he looked back behind him at the road. Chur was still standing there, eagerly waiting and watching what was to happen.

Dadab approached a stream spanned by a medium bridge of wood and stone construction. He poked at it with his hoof-like foot. It seemed of the sturdy enough sort. With a few tentative steps, the grunt crossed the bridge into town. "Why do Grunts always go first?" He mused.

Fluttershy was walking around the market. She was on the look out for a cherry stand. The last one she tried had attempted to sucker her out of a few extra bits, bits she couldn't afford to spend. She may be timid, but she would not allow herself to become a pushover for mean ponies who care only about making another bit.

Seeing a sign depicting stylized freshly picked cherries, she set off for the other stand's location. As she trotted, she closed her eyes and hummed a pleasant melody. Because of this, she didn't notice some of the strange expressions on many of the ponies' faces around her. A few looked scared, others confused, and some curious.

Without warning, somepony nudged her in the side, breaking Fluttershy out of her peaceful melody. Her eyes opened quickly in alarm. Immediately afterwards, a comically high-pitched voice asked her a question. "Excuse me, do you have gas for Dadab?"

Not looking to see who had just asked her the question, she let out a loud squeak and jumped behind a pile of apple cider barrels. Shaking, she peeked ever so slightly over them. "Who...who said that?" She chirped, barely above a whisper.

The source of the question appeared in front of the barrels, bringing himself to Fluttershy's attention. He was a short, stocky little biped, only a head and a half taller than Spike. His arms were big, and his feet vaguely resembled hooves, were it not for the three big toes that jut out of them. Where Fluttershy assumed the creature's mouth was, he had equipped a mask, possibly for breathing. He was wearing light orange armor and had what appeared to be some kind of backpack on.

They both just stared at each other, before the alien said "Gas, methane? You understanding me?" in a hopeful voice. Fluttershy was unsure of how to respond. "What? You... you want gas? I..I wouldn't know anything about that, you should talk to my friend Twilight about that...um, if you want to, anyways."

Dadab pawed at the dirt uncertainly with his fingers. "Where me find this 'Twilight'? Middle of town? By the way, where am I?"

Slightly losing her fright over the alien, Fluttershy got up from behind the barrels, allowing Dadab to get a good look at her. She was like the large creature he had seen in the sky earlier, except her color was yellow, the other had a coat the cyan color of methane, which any self-respecting grunt would know.

"You're in Ponyville. And yes, in the...the Treehouse, it's the town library, but she also lives there. She should know where you can find some umm... gas. Twilight is the one who knows everything around here." Fluttershy whispered.

Dadab could relate, being the smartest of his massive family back on Balaho. Unfortunately, many Unggoy take little stock in brain power, so his high grunt IQ didn't merit him many accommodations outside of the Covenant, except when one time he devised a more effective method of hunting scrub grubs, a popular grunt pass time.

Fluttershy pointed a hoof in the Library's direction. "Last I checked, Twilight should still be home, studying. Umm... good luck mister.." The grunt jumped up and down casually. "You can call me Dadab. You seem nice, me like you. I go now to get gas so I don't die. Bye-bye nice lady."

"Oh, um..nice meeting you too, mister... Dadab." Fluttershy whispered back. She made a mental note to tell the rest of her friends about the creature named Dadab as soon as possible. At least he didn't seem like a threat, although Fluttershy did notice what consciously looked like a gun on the alien's belt.

Dadab made his way towards the Treehouse Library, occasionally glancing at the locals. Everypony was unsure of how to approach or deal with the strange creature in their street. Not wanting to take chances with such an exotic looking biped, many elected to just keep their distance, and look at him with curiosity, and at least a little awkwardness.

Their glances creeped the grunt out a bit. "At least me know one of them is nice, what if some of the others want to _eat _Dadab? At least there no Humans around, me no like alien meanies." Dadab muttered to himself. He drew his pistol and thumped his head with it, trying to shake out such morbid thoughts.

After what seemed to be an eternity of creepy stares, Dadab finally reached the front door of the Treehouse. The Unggoy propped himself near a window, and peered inside. Fluttershy had been right, it was a library. He saw rows and rows of bookshelves, and sure enough, in the middle of the room, was somepony Dadab assumed to be Twilight. The creature had her horn in the air, and was levitating books in various directions, evidently re-shelving them.

The sight of magic intrigued Dadab, who was always the curious one of any group. The floating books also reminded him of his Huragok friend, and he felt of pang of sadness. Dadab filed the emotion away for later, more appropriate times. He approached the door, and knocked on the wood enthusiastically, awaiting the owner's response.

Far off back on the road, Chur'R Yar had made note that no plasma fire, or yelling had broken out, so Dadab's meeting with the locals must have gone smoothly. With her superior Kig-Yar vision, she was able to see that Dadab had engaged in conversation with one of the winged creatures, who pointed in the direction of the Treehouse Chur had first noticed. The little grunt was now making his way there. She decided if it was safe for him, it must be safer for her to enter as well.

As the jackal entered Ponyville, Chur kept her needler close at hand. She wasn't taking chances with these strange quadrupeds, even if they did look innocent and non-threatening for the most part.

Seeing not one, but two aliens in the same day, the ponies were starting to think they were hallucinating. With this conclusion, many of the townsfolk ignored the bird-like alien and went along with their business. Although at least a few gave her the weird stare they had given her grunt associate. The feeling of being watched as she walked made Chur's feathers stand on end. She ignited her shield a second time, and started walking at a faster pace, intent on reaching the Tree structure near the town's center.

In her haste, she accidentally bumped her shield into one of the locals who was crossing her path. "I say, do watch where you're going you ruffian! You could have ruined my gorgeous mane. I spent all morning getting it ready, you know!" The native said with a classy, refined voice.

Chur chattered something in annoyance and raised her needler at the creature. Not knowing at all what the device was, the local gave the weapon a casual examination. "My, my, those are some fine jewels! Are they amethysts? If you don't mind me asking, where per chance, did you acquire them? And uh, _what _are you?"

Before responding, the Shipmistress got a good look at the local. It appeared she was of the type with the horns on their head, which gave Chur, who assumed them to be for fighting, increased apprehension. The creature also had an elegant looking violet-purple mane and a white coat of fur. Chur couldn't shake the strange feeling that the local's faces vaguely resembled the Humans' whom Chur's allies were probably now fighting. Also, their language sounded identical to Human as well, of which Chur was only partially fluent.

None of these details really helped to calm down the Kig-Yar's growing feeling of paranoia. If she didn't get to the Treehouse quickly, trouble would surely follow. Summoning the best speaking a voice a jackal could muster, Chur finally spoke words to the local.

"I... am... of the race known as the Kig-Yar." Despite her avian bird-like body structure, her voice oddly enough had a feline purr to it. "We hail from the ocean planet of Eayn. I am Shipmistress Chur'R Yar. " Her tongue made a purring noise in the 'l' on hail, and the 'n' part of Eayn. "What, are your people called, what shall I refer to you as, hmm?"

"You, may call me, Rarity." The local said with dramatic flare. "I take it you must be, an alien?" Chur nodded slowly. "Why, isn't that...exotic? It's a pleasure to meet you, erm.." Rarity was unsure of how to pronounce the Kig-Yar's name. She smiled at the alien apologetically. "May I call you..um, Ria for short?"

Chur or 'Ria' as she would now be referred to as, merely shrugged. "If that is how this one wishes to pronounce my name, so be it. You have my... apologies for colliding with you in the street. The unfamiliar sights leave me, uneasy."

Rarity waved it off with a hoof. "Oh, it's nothing dear. No harm done, no hard feelings. Now, I simply must ask again, where did you acquire such _dazzling_ gem work on that thing?" Chur looked at her needler in her hand incredulously. "I am not sure where they are made, all I know is that they get the job done when someone is stealing my valuables."

The unicorn turned her attention to Chur/Ria's energy shield. "What, may I ask, Is that for, I must say it is quite dazzling, Ria." Ria turned the device off and raised her left wrist, showing it to Rarity.

Her wrist had a large bracelet looking device on it. "This is called a point defense gauntlet. If one finds themselves in battle, one could just simply activate it, like so..." Ria flicked her wrist, and the shield ignited to life. "And one is ready to defend themselves, and what they own, of course." Turning to face a building's blank wall, Ria raised her needler to the shield's grooved opening, aimed, and fired three crystal rounds.

The projectiles hit the side of the shop, imbedding themselves in the wood, before shattering. At that, Ria powered down the shield and holstered her needler. Now realizing that a _weapon_ had been pointed at her, Rarity understandably was no longer cheerful towards the jackal.

"You use those elegant things for _fighting_? My oh my, that is simply the most uncouth thing I've ever heard of!" She raised her muzzle in the air, closing her eyes. "But elegant looking nevertheless." Rarity concluded with a sigh. She gave Ria an appraising look.

"Such gorgeous feathers you have as well, say.. I have an idea!" She grabbed Ria with her horn's telekinesis. "You simply _must _come with me back to Carousel Boutique, I have a few things that would look positively divine with those elegant feathers of yours!"

Ria struggled in protest, but the unicorn's magic was too strong for her. "Actually, I was heading for... I have someone I have to..."

"No, no. I must insist. Fashion potential such as yourself can't be allowed to slip from my grasp!" The fashionista declared. Chur stopped struggling with a purr-filled sigh. She chattered quietly in annoyance to herself. Bystanders who had witnessed the pair's conversation were dumbstruck as to how to process what they had seen. All in all, it was cutting out to be one strange day.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle, finally hearing the insistent knocking at the front door responded. "Spike, could you get that please?"

"Can't you do it?" The little dragon replied with a lazy yawn.

"I'm a little busy here at the moment, If you can't tell by all the books floating around above your head!" Twilight shot back annoyed. Spike was a very all-round dependable, competent, and loyal assistant, but he could be a major head case from time to time.

"Alright, but whoever pony it is, it better be important. I was hoping to sleep in a bit." Spike declared. A few moments passed as Spike headed to the door, whilst Twilight continued to work with sorting the books. "Let's see, _Pony History_...volume one, goes there. _Treatise on Extraterrestrial Life Forms_? What is that doing here? I thought that was in the science-fiction section where it belongs. Hmm, Spike must have filed it under 'nonfiction' just to irritate me." Twilight mused as sorted more of the tomes.

Suddenly, Spike's voice issued from the front door. "Umm, Twilight? Someone's here. They say they're an alien, and they also say they're wondering if you have any methane gas they could have."

"Ha ha Spike, very funny. Like an alien would just show up on our front door at random. Stop joking and come on in, Pinkie Pie. We know you're not an alien." Twilight replied, not at all amused.

"Who's Pinkie Pie?" A high pitched-voice asked from the doorway.


	3. Crime Against Fashion

Chapter 3: Crime Against Fashion

As Twilight made her way to the door, she wasn't quite sure how to process what she saw. Standing next to a rather confused looking Spike, was a little biped just a few feet taller than the dragon, he was barely taller than Twilight herself.

The creature was shuffling his hoof-like feet around impatiently, muttering to himself in Sangheili. When he saw the librarian, he perked up immediately. "You Twilight yes? Do you have gas for Dadab, mine is running low!"

The unicorn could hardly believe her own eyes. Sure enough, there was an alien being, in her house, asking her for gas. Of all the weird, possible scenarios, not even Discord could have come up with this one. The biped noticed Twilight's wide-eyed expression, and waved his hands around, seeing if she was even still conscious.

"Anybody home? Hello?" The alien inquired. Spike decided to intervene. "Umm, I think you might have just caught her at a bad time. Let me try something." He snapped his fingers loudly in front of his friend's face. Twilight came out of her bewilderment, shaking her head to try and clear her mind. "Huh?!"

The creature continued to stare at her impatiently, before he turned to Spike. "Dadab thanks you, strange lizard man." Spike shrugged. "Don't mention it, name's Spike by the way, a pleasure to meet you..um, Dadab."

Spike and Dadab shook hands, as Twilight had finally collected herself. "How do you know who I am? And...not to be rude, but who and what are you?"

Dadab jumped up and down, a casual thing most Grunts did when they were in a relieved or excited mood. "I'm the grunt Dadab, deacon of the Great Journey, and smartest Grunt in Covenant! Me not from around here though, I come from Balaho. Nice lady Fluttershy told me you could get methane for me."

The baby dragon shared the grunt's excitement. "So it's true, you are an alien then! Wow, this is so awesome!"

Twilight was still skeptical, even despite her shock at Dadab's foreign appearance. "Alien you say? If you're an alien, where's your spaceship? Why aren't there more of you?" She stuck to her theory that Dadab was of this world, and that he was simply a member of a species that hadn't been seen before, possibly from beyond the Everfree Forest. That sounded like a theory to be trusted, at least in Twilight's mind. Alien life could in theory exist, by why jump to such extreme conclusions so soon?

Before Dadab could answer the questions, Twilight heaped another one onto him. "Are you from the Everfree Forest?" The grunt fidgeted nervously. "Scary forest? No, Dadab stays away from the forest, can't be safe for grunts at all." He replied.

Then he made an urgent but hopeful motion at his backpack with his hand. "You make methane gas for me with magic, so I don't suffocate?" The unicorn looked from the alien's backpack, to his rebreather pack, and finally understood what the Grunt was asking of her.

"Hmm, methane. Should be able to conjure some up with a basic synthesis spell." She charged up her horn, narrowed her eyes in concentration, and aimed at the Unggoy. "Here goes nothing.."

Dadab got hit by the spell, and he flinched slightly. When Twilight's aura had faded from around the grunt's body, he checked his gas meter. Sure enough, it was completely full.

The grunt bounced around excitably. "Dadab thanks you, new friends!" Twilight gave him a dubious expression. Her curiosity over the little alien was building. "Since we helped you get gas, how about you stay around and share with us a few things about yourself, maybe answer a couple of questions? What do you say?"

"Me have time for interview. Ask Dadab whatever you want." Twilight rubbed her hooves together in anticipation at the prospect of learning about a new species and their culture. "Wonderful, let's get started. Hmm, oh yeah, who are the 'Covenant?"

Meanwhile, Rarity was still pulling Chur'R Yar, a.k.a. Ria, towards her fashion shop near the middle of town. The jackal had long since given up by the time the duo had arrived at Carousel Boutique. Once inside, Rarity had spared no time getting straight to work.

Without asking, the unicorn sat Ria into a chair, and began taking various measurements of the alien's head, snout, arms, waist, and legs. The Shipmistress felt as if she was becoming a test subject in one of the medical experiments the Prophets would secretly perform back on High Charity. Understandably, she was beginning to really dislike the fashionista.

Rarity gave the Jackal a few more cursory glances, then set off for the second floor. "One moment please, I have just the things to make you positively fabulous!" Ria merely sat in the chair, chattering to herself irritably. Looking around the shop, the pirate got an idea. She began scanning for anything of value.

There wasn't much in the immediate vicinity, just a few reels of expensive silk, a few clothes stands in the shape of an equine, and polished, high quality sewing equipment. Only the silk slightly interested Ria, she was looking for other things.

Before she could continue her treasure hunt, the alabaster Unicorn had returned, this time carrying a few articles of clothing and other products with her. Approaching Ria, she said, "Now darling, I'm going to need you to be a still as possible, while I get to work." Ria fidgeted in her seat. "Is this all...necessary?" She purred.

"I promise you, you won't regret the results. In fact, I shall think you shall be bedazzled by my work!" Rarity declared. The jackal merely shrugged at this. Might as well just go with the flow of things...for now.

The fashionista got right to work on the Jackal, preening and primming feathers, applying make up, of all things, to her face, and to top it all off, Rarity placed a pink bow tie on the alien's head. Ria was beginning to get pissed.

Somehow, the unicorn failed to notice this fact, and dealt the final blow to the alien's cool. "Alright darling, now that the main part is out of the way, why don't you get out of that... tacky armor, and try on this fine garment." It was a dress. Just as Ria was about to draw out her needler, something stopped her. The dress was adorned with sapphires-genuine, fine cut, precious sapphires.

Looking up from the dress, Ria saw that in addition to the clothing, Rarity had also brought a small box filled with the gleaming precious minerals. In addition, rubies and diamonds also beckoned to her from the container. The alien's eyes widened like dinner plates in disbelief.

"Do be a dear and try it on, I fear I have forgotten something upstairs. Let me know what you think of it when I come back down, won't you." Rarity instructed. She closed her eyes as she sauntered up to the second floor.

No longer able to keep her Kig-Yar Kleptomania under control, Ria rushed to the box. The alien grabbed it, the silk, and the dress, and dashed out of Carousel Boutique faster than a speeding ghost.

Putting the dress over one shoulder, and the reel of silk under her armpit, the Jackal made her way towards the Treehouse she had originally intended to visit. Without hesitation, she jumped up into the shadows of the tree's branches, stashing her new treasure hoard in the cover of the leaves.

Ria then leaped down several feet to the ground, and approached the front door casually as if she hadn't just stolen potentially thousands of bits worth of stuff. She looked through a window, and found another unicorn, this one with a purple coat, sitting next to a little purple and green lizard biped, and as expected, Dadab.

Quickly, the jackal pounded her fist on the door.

"That's the Covenant then? Interesting. So, what do you call that thing you have strapped to your belt?" Twilight inquired.

Dadab reached for it, drawing it in his hand. "Elite bosses call them plasma pistols. We use for battle, but I rarely have reason to use it."

"A weapon, interesting. How powerful is it then?" Twilight inquired. "Me demonstrate?" Dadab countered. Twilight shrugged. "Just don't hurt anypony, andt aim at the floor. Don't aim at any of my books!"

Dadab put his finger to the firing mechanism, and let loose a green bolt of energy at the floor. Twilight and Spike both yelped in alarm as the bolt buried itself into the floor, leaving a charred hole that lead straight into the library's cellar.

"Okay, that's enough I think. Please get rid of that thing!" The librarian said quickly. "I'm sorry, me no intend to frighten you." Dadab apologized. Privately, the grunt mentally snickered at how they might react if he had fired a fuel rod cannon.

Suddenly, a banging sounded at the door. Twilight looked annoyed. "Darn, I still have so many questions. I'll get it I suppose." Going to the door, she was shocked for the second time today. Where Dadab had been mere minutes ago, there now stood another strange creature. This one was taller than the grunt, and resembled a vulture.

That wasn't the strangest thing. The creature had what appeared to be a bow tie stuck in the feathers on it's head, and make up was half smeared across its snout and cheeks. Finally, the bird-thing spoke to her.

"Is Dadab here?" Twilight merely nodded, still unsure as to how to process what she was seeing. Not one, but _two _alien species had literally just appeared on her doorstep, and both in the same day. Still saying nothing, the unicorn motioned with her hoof towards the living room.

Just as Ria had sat down on the couch with everypony else and Dadab, a furious voice boomed from the once again open door, startling the grunt and jackal to no end.

"**RIA!** Are you the one who stole my jewels! Get over here, you pilfering** RUFFIAN!**" The normally elegant, polished voice was seething with unbridled rage.


	4. Awkward Meeting

Chapter 4: Awkward Meeting

Rarity was boiling with rage. Her normally calm, pleasant face was now glowing red like a wall melted by a focus rifle.

"I say, I know your in here! I'm not going to hurt you dear, IF YOU JUST COME OUT!" Instead of obeying, the Kig-Yar activated her shield gauntlet, and ducked behind the nearest couch, the one currently occupied by Spike and Twilight.

"Rarity?" Twilight and Spike asked in unison. "Ahh! Enemy?" Dadab drew his pistol. Spike saw the motion and urgently held up his hands, trying to keep the Unggoy from doing something rash. Dadab, who was on friendly terms with the dragon, complied at once and stowed the energy weapon away.

For Dadab, half his brain told him to run away due to their not being an Elite officer present. The smart half told the first half to shut up, calm down, and observe the situation cautiously.

"Come on out this instant!" Rarity ordered again, charging her horn for a spell.

Twilight quickly got up and approached the enraged mare, trying to calm her down. "Rarity, what's gotten into you? Who's Ria?"

"Who do you think, dear? The blasted dragon lady!" She pointed to the jackal. "That miscreant stole from me, right under my nose! And to think I was offering to refine her look, _without charge_!" Rarity declared.

The Kig-Yar abandoned her defensive posture, instead opting to feign personal insult. "I stole nothing of yours, clothing merchant. I am a Shipmistress. I am _above_ such petty indecencies."

"ABOVE IT ALL YOU SAY?!" Rarity bellowed in outrage. Unexpectedly, the power of her voice shook the branches just enough to shake loose the jackal pirate's poorly placed plunder. The stolen merchandise fell from above, and landed loudly at Rarity's feet.

She looked up from her stolen goods and gave the lizard alien a withering look.

Ria chattered furiously in Sangheili, before switching back to Equestrian. "You had it coming, horn head!" Her voice purred angrily in her throat, making her sound ironically like a loud, happy feline.

Impossibly, Rarity's sneer only grew in size on her face. "Is there no end to your abhorrent personality? You are like the Diamond Dogs, and that's putting it LIGHTLY!"

Twilight put a hoof on her enraged friend's shoulder. "Rarity, I understand our guest here has greatly offended your hospitality by stealing from you. _But_, we need to go through this with a calm, rational mind okay?"

The fashion designer gave a long sigh, and replaced her sneer with a frown. "You're right Twilight, I was behaving very unladylike." She looked back to Chur. "That _still_ doesn't justify robbing me in broad daylight Ria!"

"You tried to scientifically experiment on me, and seeking revenge, you left your goods ripe for plunder. It would have been a disservice to myself and my people's nature If I had not, plucked a few valuables for...safekeeping. If it offended you greater than I had intended, then you have my most sincerest apologies as a Shipmistress of the Covenant."

Instead of a frown, the white unicorn now stared at the pirate with confusion. "Experimentation? That's Twilight's domain dear." It was now Twilight's turn to frown.

"Hey! Are you insinuating that I experiment on _living creatures_?! Fluttershy, Rainbow, or AJ would kill me if they found out about something like that!"

Rarity ignored the remark for now. "And..." She sighed again. "I accept your apology Ria."

The Jackal relaxed her muscles, and deactivated her shield gauntlet. "Under one condition, that is." Rarity declared.

Ria stiffened up again, that old, familiar anxiety settling back into her as quickly as it had disappeared. "What is it, that this one desires from me?"

"Well firstly, your going to take what you stole, march back with me to Carousel Boutique, and put it _right_ back where you found it. I'll think of what else you can do when we get there." As Ria made her way to the door, Rarity followed, her muzzle turned up in the air.

Before the two could take their leave however, that was when Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy materialized at the front door.

"Hey Rarity! What's up Twilight? Fluttershy tells us there's some kind of alien or foreigner running around Ponyville..." Rainbow finally noticed the jackal right in front of her. "Whoa! You must be it then?" She stared at Ria with surprise, her wings flapping as she hovered in the air. The other three elected to stay quiet and see what the strange creature's response would be. Pinkie Pie was struggling not to enthusiastically greet the jackal

In kind, the Kig-Yar looked at the pegasus and her friends with curiosity in her large eyes. "So it's true, Dadab was accurate, some of your people can fly. I envy this." Ria motioned to the feathers adorning her head, and the back of her arms.

Dash looked at the alien as if she had crawled out from under a rock. "Well yeah we can fly, we're _pegasi, _after all. I don't suppose _your _kind can fly, can they?"

Ria shook her head. "Our ancient ancestors did once, but we have since adapted to life in the tall trees. While we cannot use our feathers to lift us, we Skirmishers, a special kind of Kig Yar, are able to sprint quickly, and climb and jump to great heights."

The pegasus merely shrugged at the information. "I suppose climbing high is as cool as flying, _sometimes_." Ria chortled in amusement, putting her snout into a type of grin. "Sometimes? Perhaps we should put that estimate to the test soon, pegasus."

Rainbow Dash broke into a competitive grin. "I'll be happy to hold ya to that, umm...Skirmisher." Saying the last part, Dash scratched at her mane with a hoof. "What's your name?"

Ria decided to skip the formalities. "I am Chur'R Yar. Can you pronounce this?" Dash gave it a go, but the syllables were too exotic for an Equestrian speaker. She shook her head and shrugged again. Ria's grin only grew.

"You put emphasis on the 'R', with the 'Y' sounding like 'E', while the final 'R', is almost silent. That is how you pronounce it. But for ease of communication, just call me Ria I suppose."

Rarity was losing her patience. "Well, I'm sure that is all so fascinating, but if you girls would kindly excuse us, Ria here was just about to return some things of mine she _stole_."

This warranted a ruckus from three of the four mares. Applejack scowled disapprovingly at Ria, Pinkie Pie gave out a scandalous gasp, Rainbow Dash shook her head in disappointment, and Fluttershy remarked "Oh my, that's not very nice." As she tried her best to look indifferent to all of it.

Twilight decided now was the time to play the role of peacekeeper again. Moving towards the four, Twilight noticed the device at Ria's hip. She had seen what Dadab's pistol could do to a wooden floor, and the librarian was not very eager to find out what the jackal's needler was capable of.

"Girls, girls, it's alright. Ria has already apologized to Rarity, it was just a misunderstanding."

AJ's scowl changed to a less menacing frown, and Dash now wore a neutral expression, but was now staring daggers at the alien. Fluttershy hid her expression behind her mane, while Pinkie grinned at the alien in a friendly way. A way that was in such stark contrast to her friends' demeanor, that it started to make Ria feel funny.

It would seem the Shipmistress' day was filled full of weird feelings. She figured that unexplainably finding one's self in a strange world with equally odd inhabitants was playing a major hand in that.

Seeking to shake the feeling off, Ria decided to address the source (or rather, sources) of her apprehension directly. Looking to each of the four mares opposite from her, Twilight, and Rarity, she explained herself.

"Once again, you all have my apologies for offending any of you," She gestured at Rarity. "As well as your friend. I and my...business associate awoke here without any explanation as to how we got here, and we assumed we were still on a certain planet populated by a race we're at war with. Surely you can understand my error in misunderstanding your intentions?"

This monologue payed off. Ria was rewarded with the sight of understanding on the faces of the others. Twilight caught Ria's attention with a nudge of her hoof.

"We had a similar incident with a zebra named Zecora quite some time ago. We misunderstood her nature greatly." With a nervous laugh, the lavender unicorn rubbed her foreleg with the other. "We...kinda assumed her to be a witch. But hey, we're all close friends with her now." She grinned nervously at Ria.

The Skirmisher returned her grin as best as she could. "You assumed her to be an evil spell caster?" Ria hit a hand on her hip, letting out a loud purr in her throat, chuckling. "That is most amusing. I am glad I am not the only one to have fallen into the trap of misunderstanding good intentions."

The librarian smiled back, then looked around to everypony. "Well, why doesn't everypony just come in? We all look weird standing here at the door."

"Oh, very well." Rarity sighed. "I suppose we can settle the rest of our business later then, Ria."

The friends and the alien walked in and settled down. Dadab and Spike had passed the time in a rather interesting way.

They were both on the floor, and Dadab was showing the little dragon how to play a mock game of scrub grub hunting. Using books as the hunting rocks, and rolled up pieces of parchment to represent the little insects, the two took turns 'killing' scrub grubs.

Seeing her books being thrown around carelessly, and the parchment completely misplaced and scattered around, the librarian furiously told them to cut it out. For Dadab, Twilight's voice carried like an angry Sangheili, and he almost jumped out of his armor in fright.

"Clean this mess up you two!"

"But it was Dabab's idea!" Spike protested.

Twilight face-hoofed. "No buts, both of you get to work!" Spike looked to Dadab for support. "Help me out here, wont ya?"

Dadab fidgeted uncomfortably, before replying, "Twilight scary! I'm just going to stay on her good side, okay?" He started picking up books and brushing them off carefully.

The baby dragon frowned at him. "Pushover." He muttered, before joining Dadab in cleaning up. Twilight briefly watched them get to work. Satisfied, she joined her friends and Ria, who watched the whole thing from the couch.

Remembering the incident with the poison joke, and Zecora's role in fixing it, Twilight informed Ria about it. Upon hearing of the magical plant's comical symptoms from contact with it's leaves, the pirate chuckled uncontrollably, making her sound like a happy manticore.

The six friends joined in, and all seven were now laughing up a storm. Ria's odd laugh was almost drowned out by Pinkie Pie's loud one. "You should'a heard the way Fluttershy's voice sounded, instead of all soft and gentle, it sounded all deep and baritone like an old stallion's!" She declared, clutching her gut from laughing too hard.

Fluttershy frowned at Pinkie, but she was too timid to call her friend out on it. As everyone calmed down from laughing, Applejack stared at Ria curiously.

"So sugarcube, would ya like to tell us a little bit about where you're from? What are your people like?"

Ria nodded enthusiastically. "I am from a world I assume to be far away from here. It is a heavily forested, watery planet we call Eayn. My race, or Kig-Yar as we call ourselves, have always had a notorious history of piracy and economic scheming."

"Piracy? Your people are pirates? Well ain't that the weirdest thing!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Out of nowhere, she put on an eyepatch, and began trotting around the room, shouting. "Arg, maties! I be a dainty pirate!"

Other than a few odd glances, everypony else ignored her shenanigans.

Applejack frowned at the mention of piracy and scheming. The jackal quickly noticed and hastily continued.

_But_, don't let that foul your opinion of us. We are also renowned throughout the Covenant Empire for our trading, mercantile, and diplomatic prowess. For instance, the ill-gotten goods I acquired from Rarity, I could have sold for twice their value in your currency at a shop somewhere else in this town. Using my...charisma, the merchant would have been none the wiser."

"We Kig-Yar know how to make a tidy profit for ourselves. In short, we have a knack for making money, and amassing things of value, whether it be for good or ill."

Twilight took the information about the Kig Yar in with a thoughtful smile.

Applejack, on the other hand, rubbed her chin with her hoof, narrowing her eyes at the jackal. She was deciding whether or not to trust the alien. Her people didn't sound like the kind who take pride in making it by the hard, honest way.

"What about the little guy over there? Is Dadab his name?" Dash inquired, pointing at the Unggoy, who was still cleaning up books.

"What about him?" Ria purred, bored already at the mention of the grunt' name.

"Where is he from? What species is he?"

Ria waved a hand indifferently at Rainbow Dash. "Why don't you just ask the little gas sucker yourself? He's surprisingly smart, even for an Unggoy. I'm sure he can tell you all sorts of things."

Returning to her businesslike demeanor, she peered at each of the mares smartly. "Now, who here is interested in a joint business venture? I have seen first hand that you possess a fine garment establishment, Rarity? Would you be interested in my...mercantile skills?"

The fashionista raised a brow at her. "Really, after you just stole from me in broad daylight, you're offering a business proposal, of all things?"

The Merchant/Pirate nodded at her, grinning and resisting the urge to wring her slender fingers in anticipation.

Rarity actually seemed to be considering the offer, much to AJ's chagrin. "Hmm. You've already shown you have rather deft hands, and you are obviously quick of mind if you managed to find a way to slip out from under me so quickly with all those goods in hoof. Such situational awareness is one of the hallmarks of a shrewd businesspony."

The alabaster unicorn put a hoof to her cheek thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose we could discuss it, after we return to Carousel Boutique. Perhaps I can see first hand whether or not you're just a braggart, or Ponyville's next premier business agent, darling." Rarity return the alien's grin with a poker face of her own.

Twilight, a bit surprised by the two's conversation, looked over behind, to where Dadab and Spike had just finished cleaning up after themselves.

"Dadab, care to tell my friends all the fascinating stuff you told me and Spike?"

The grunt felt a surge of dread go through him. Yet another endless barrage of questions were sure to follow. He shuffled his feet around uncomfortably.

Sensing his reluctance, the librarian decided to up the ante."Please?" Twilight was now giving him a sad puppy-dog look. This caused the stocky alien to finally cave.

"Fine, but you owe Dadab for this, Twilight." The unicorn nodded at him greatfully. Recognizing Fluttershy among the group, Dadab brightened back up to his usual cheerful self. He waved at the pegasus.

"Hey, it's nice lady again! Hi Fluttershy!"

"He...Hello." She squeaked back.

"Alright Dadab, why don't you start from the beginning." Twilight instructed, eager to hear about the alien's culture a second time.

Ria felt like groaning. Listening to an Unggoy, of all creatures, droning on about society and culture within the Covenant was definitely not on the pirate's list of favorite pass times.


	5. Culture Shock

Chapter 5: Culture Shock

"You see the schematics, Engineer, and Trixie has brought you everything you said you needed! Why are you not getting to work?!"

Lighter Than Some responded with a series of distressed whistles, his bouyancy sacks glowing pink instead of the usual azure blue. Accompanying his whistles, the fragile alien curled his tentacles around. He was using Huragok sign language.

"What do you mean it can't work? This is magic we are dealing with here! If the Great and Powerful Trixie says it can be done, it can be done!"

(whistling)

"Leave the power source problem to me! Trixie knows of a viable one holed up within a hole-in-the-wall curio shop in Canterlot. I shall bring it here, and in the mean time, _you _shall get to work building the machine!"

(whistle, hum)

"No buts! The Great and Powerful One commands you!"

Trixie moved to leave, and just before she exited her caravan, she glared at the engineer, her horn aglow.

"And don't even think about trying to leave to go find your precious friends! Trixie has created wards that not even you can break through, balloon boy! You're stuck here until Trixie has finished her...shopping."

The azure unicorn finished her statement with a mean little laugh. Her hooded form then disappeared around the doorjamb, a purse full of bits jingling loudly as she rushed away under the darkness of the rainstorm.

Dadab prepared to give yet another lengthy lecture, this time to a much larger audience. He also braced himself for the intense question answering that was sure to overrun his storytelling.

The Unggoy was rather nervous. Being outnumbered by another race in a close-quarters room always produced feelings of anxiety in Grunts, and today was no exception, even for Dadab the scholarly deacon.

He cleared his throat, which was made comical sounding by his methane-induced high-pitched voice. "Right, starting from beggining, hmmm, let's see, ah! Me know where to start!"

Twilight and Pinkie Pie grinned at the little alien. The rest of the girls stared attentively, and Ria seemed to be sinking into the cushion of the couch, her head resting on her hand in an overtly bored manner.

"Long, long ago, around seven Ages past, or perhaps roughly 3000 years ago, Elite bosses and Holy Prophets go to war in big battle! Um, bosses fight each other over holy relics left by Forerunner Gods. Prophets wanted to study and use relics, while Sangheili wished them be left alone. Dadab unsure of war, but I know that neither side wins, and the Writ of Union is signed instead."

Suddenly, Applejack's hoof is the first to be raised. "Ugh, pardon me fer askin' Dadab, but just who in the Princesses' names are the Forerunners? What 'holy relics' are ya talkin' 'bout?"

"Yeah! And what's the Writ of Union? Some kind of political thing?" Rainbow Dash added, confused.

Dadab was regretting this already. He sniffed the air through his rebreather pack, before answering the two's questions.

"Forerunners are mysterious beings who existed before Covenant. They left on Great Journey and then became gods. Their 'relics' are actually machines. Creatures like the insect Yan'mee ,and Huragok engineers like my friend Lighter Than Some tinker with them."

The grunt pulled out his pistol again, which slightly startled Twilight and Spike. Sensing their discomfort, Dadab held the barrel towards a wall in a neutral position, showing it to the girls. "We make stuff like these, and big spaceships by tinkering with relics! Prophet bosses make cool new stuff all the time by studying the relics!"

Dash gave the weapon a look, then stared at the hole burned into the floor. "So, did your gun do that?"

He nodded. The pegasus formed a mischievous grin. "That is so cool!" She exclaimed. Dadab laughed at her.

"Ha, you should go on Covenant ship someday and see other weapons! They blow you away!" Nopony could tell, but the grunt was grinning under his methane mask, images of fuel rod cannons, plasma grenades, and plasma launchers floating in and out of his head.

Shaking the seductive thoughts away, Dadab returned to his lecture. "Writ of Union formed Covenant. Dadab recite it now."

The Mane Six looked to the stocky alien curiously as he stood as stiffly and tall as he could, puffing his chest out, and raised a hand in the air. He then recited perfectly from memory, the Writ of Union, the Covenant's founding document.

"_So full of hate were our eyes_

_That none of us could see_

_Our war would yield countless dead_

_But never victory_

_So let us cast arms aside_

_And like discard our wrath_

_Thou, in faith, will keep us safe_

_Whilst we find the path"_

Dadab closed his eyes and took a deep breath of Methane at that. The girls ran the grunt's words through their heads, picking the statement apart, and trying to decipher each and every word.

After several moments of silence, Twilight raised her hand. "So, your people came to reject most fighting, you are a peaceful civilization?"

This made the grunt scoff. "No way. Let me tell you about the Grunt Rebellion, but first, I explain the Writ of Union. It founded the Covenant in 852 B.C.E., or as we call it, the First Age of Reconciliation. After that, Elites and Prophets are friends. Sangheili fight and protect, and San 'Shyuum gather and experiment."

Now tensing up his body, he moved forward through history.

"Then the two find Hunters of planet Te. Hunters fight back and nearly win, but Elites threatened to burn Hunters' home, so they join. Then, eventually Shipmistress' people's worlds are found and conquered." Ria perked up when the Grunt said this.

"Dadab's people were some of the last to be found and inducted into Covenant." Ria said interrupting. "The little gas suckers were also responsible for several rebellions in recent history that has costed the Covenant greatly in property damage." She purred with disdain at the little alien.

The Unggoy became angry, just as Ria had been hoping. "Grunts nearly won! Because we fight bravely, we get to carry gun in armies, and some made deacon, like me."

"What caused the rebellion in the first place?" Twilight inquired.

Letting out a chortle of anger, Ria replied, "Dadab's kind breed at an unprecedented rate. They were beggining to overrun my peoples' hatching grounds. So we poisoned their methane supplies."

This caused the purple unicorn to contort her face in shock and horror. "That's horrible, you tried to _kill_ them all?!"

Ria merely shrugged. "Have to keep their numbers in check somehow." Applejack was staring daggers at the Kig-Yar. Ria could tell, but she did not care.

Meanwhile, Dadab was barely containing his pint-sized rage. "Me no like Shipmistress! I no follow you anymore, and I hope you fall out of a very tall tree someday, and not gracefully."

Ria chattered to herself angrily.

Surprisingly, Fluttershy raised a hoof, interrupting the aliens' feud. "Yes?" Dadab questioned, his angry voice disappearing instantly.

"Mr. Dadab, um... You keep saying you're a deacon? What is that? Uh, if you you feel like telling me that is." She whispered.

"We deacons ensure the rest of the grunts follow the words of Holy Prophet bosses and work towards the Great Journey."

Pinkie Pie broke into a dance. "Ohh! A journey! Where to? Can we come with?" Dadab stared at the pink mare with confusion and incredulity.

"And just what is this 'Great Journey?" Twilight inquired, her curiosity only mounting. Once again, Twilight ignored the party pony's antics.

"Great Journey? How for Dadab to describe Great Journey... Aha! Great Journey is when the Covenant finally finds the holy Seven Rings that will allow us to go on the journey. Once we embark, we shall become... well, like the Forerunners Lords! It is the center of Covenant Faith, and we deacons remind our friends to follow it, if they wish to join us on the Journey."

Rainbow Dash held her hooves up in the air. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up there! Are you telling me there are things out in space that can make us like the Princesses?"

Dadab ran 'Princesses through his mind, and then remembered Celestia and Luna. Twilight had spoke to impossibly great lengths about the former, and just a little less about the latter.

"I suppose so, yes!" He replied finally.

Dash looked at her friends, and finally to Twilight. "Could ya imagine how awesome it would be for us all to be Alicorns?! You should talk to Princess Celestia sometime about inviting the Covenant over, they sound awesome to hang with!"

"I'm not so sure about that Rainbow. Having two of them here has already caused enough trouble, and what about the part about conquering planets?" The unicorn looked towards Rarity and Ria with a nervous smirk. "No offense, Ria."

Ria shrugged. "No taken, native."

Seemingly oblivious to Twilight's argument, Pinkie had begun bouncing about the room, circling around the Unggoy. "Can I go on the Great Journey? I like the sound of it, I bet it will be awesomely fun!"

The grunt Deacon put a finger to his stout little chin in thought. "Dadab don't see why not. Although me not sure how to contact Elites and Covenant, me sure you would be welcomed in if they ever find this world.'


	6. Yes, Holy One

Chapter 6: Yes, Holy One

Unbeknownst to anypony in Ponyville, or indeed the whole of Equestria, a single large starship floated in orbit high above the planet. At its helm, stood a large, powerfully built alien.

Cutting an ever imposing figure, the alien had his arms folded at his chest, and a massive hammer strapped to his back. His body was heavily furred in fine silvery hairs, and his head was topped off with a wild, sweeping mohawk.

He was currently staring at a holographic projection of the planet, gazing in particular at a single, large continent. The land was bordered by two oceans, a massive desert to the south, and the northern polar ice cap.

"Are you certain this is the right planet, Chieftain? Does it contain the renegade of which we seek?" The speaker uttered his words with aristocratic, authoritarian flare.

Turning around in an instant, the large alien was greeted by the sight of someone in a large floating gravity chair.

"I am indeed certain, noble Prophet of Regret. Our sensor contraptions report to us that the strange slipspace disturbance that the Engineer disappeared into, leads straight to this world."

"That is exquisite news, Tartarus. You have done well. Now all we require is to ascertain the Huragok's _specific_ location. I trust that you have means of accomplishing this?"

The Jiralhanae replied with a grin, revealing two rows of teeth filed downed to menacing fangs. "I have a few warriors in mind who shall make for fine search and retrieval team material."

Regret clasped his hands together merrily. "Splendid! Splendid! But do not tarry, we have a War to fight, and _every_ Engineer is needed _now_ more than ever!" At these words, the Prophet floated towards the door leading away from the bridge.

"Of course. But, that is not all, I'm afraid." Tartarus added hastily.

Stopping, and raising an eyebrow, Regret turned towards him slowly. "Oh? Go ahead, speak your mind then."

"The planet is shown to be inhabited by sentients, noble Prophet of Regret."

"_Vermin?!" _

"Nay, Prophet of Regret. No humans were detected. They seem to be a previously undiscovered race."

Regret changed from anger back to enthusiastic satisfaction in an instant, indicative of a possibly unstable mind. "Fascinating. Once we have captured the Engineer, I leave it to you to initiate first contact with this species. The more we have to throw at the Heretics, the better."

He turned to look back at Tartarus one final time, sternly. "Bring me back Lighter Than Some, _unharmed_. And if any of the inhabitants gets in your way, put peace aside and forcefully remind them of their _place_."

The silver-coated Jiralhanae bowed deeply, putting one fist to the ground, and the other to his massive chest. "Yes Holy One. _It_ _shall be done._"

The Prophet then disappeared around the bend of the corridor, the door closing behind him.

Watching his departure, Tartarus refocused his attention on the planet projection. Without looking away, he barked an order at the Brute officer nearest him.

"Packbrother?!"

"Yes, Chieftain?"

"Summon me my most capable captain. I have a task for him."

"Of course, mighty one."

Tartarus chuckled to himself as the officer carried out his commands. He zoomed the projection in, showing a small, town-sized settlement amidst a large, almost jungle-like forest.

"You have words for me, Chieftain ?" An deep, immensely powerful voice inquired. The Chieftain turned around at once.

Standing before Tartarus, was possibly the largest Jiralhanae who had ever lived. He was at least 12 feet tall, rivaling even Hunters in height.

His skin, quite like the majority of Tartarus' Brutes, was covered up by a thick, unshaven coat of fur. In his case, the fur was snow white, even whiter than the Chieftain's.

In his hand was his own personal gravity hammer, and clipped at his belt was a spiker carbine, a mauler pistol, four spike grenades, two incendiary, and four plasma grenades. He wore no armor, only bandoliers that held more spiker and mauler ammunition.

"Indeed Ferus. I want you, to go to the surface of this planet. There is a forest to the west of this settlement just over some hills. You shall land and make camp there. Inquire from the locals, any and all, about the Engineer's location. If you describe him properly, they should know instantly if they have seen the creature. _You_ have been selected for none would dare to challenge your imposing stature."

Ferus responded with a curt chuckle.

"Do you understand the task your Chieftain has given you?"

"I do, my Chieftain. They _will _tell me where the Huragok lies." He motioned towards the personal armory he had attached to him. "If not, pain will surely follow." Ferus finished his statement with a cruel grin.

"Go then, Captain. Secure honor for the Jiralhanae within the Covenant, locate and retrieve Regret's engineer! _Do not fail me_."

Bowing, Ferus nodded. "As you say, mighty Chieftain."

The hulking brute bowed once again, then made his way out of the Bridge, heading towards a hangar bay.

He found a Phantom waiting for him. It was carrying all the supplies needed for a small encampment. Among the supplies were a few purple weapons crates carrying none other than plasma launchers, fuel rod cannons, and the occasional spiker, carbine, or Brute plasma rifle.

Truly, Brutes were rather excessive when it came to preparing for operations. Major overkill, right?

This did not cross Ferus' mind, as he clambered aboard the empty troop bay of the Phantom. The sight of the extra heavy munitions reminded him that he could possibly have a little fun somewhere, and still manage to have time to find the little floaty renegade.

He couldn't wait to see how the natives will likely respond to his demoralizingly powerful musculature. The thought of mysterious alien weaklings running in fear from his hammer was too exciting to bear.

Ferus now cradled his hammer in his hands lovingly.

"Take me to the surface of the alien planet!" Ferus barked at the pilot.

"We're disembarking now." The Elite replied, with a hint of derision in his voice.

Leaving the Covenant Assault Carrier, the Phantom quickly made its way out of orbit and into the planet's atmosphere. Only somepony with a telescope, and a quick eye, could have detected its movement.

And only at night. Right now, it was the middle of the day.

Meanwhile, back down to earth in Ponyville, a certain former pirate and one of Equestria's finest dressmakers were getting along swimmingly, considering their rather turbulent start.

"I thank you for finally returning the items you took, darling." Rarity declared pleasantly.

Ria stood next to her as she went about organizing things around the shop. Rolls of fine fabric, finished and unfinished dresses, and various tools of the trade floated about in Rarity's telekinesis field.

The Kig-Yar was mesmerized by the show of magic, obviously still unused to it.

Snapping out of her trance, Ria replied. "And once again, I apologize for stealing from you and violating your hospitality. Such behavior is inexcusable among Kig-Yar, even if does potentially yield profit."

To the jackal's surprise, Rarity frowned out her, pouting her lips. "Heavens dear! If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me! I should have saw from the beggining how nervous you must have been from being in such unfamiliar surroundings. It's my fault for not giving you time to acclimate darling."

Rarity sighed. "It's just so amazing having an exotic creature such as yourself waltz right into Ponyville out of the blue, you know?! Surely you can forgive my over eagerness?" She now grinned at the alien nervously.

Ria responded with a friendly chuckle, and a Kig-Yar smile. "Don't worry Rarity. If you are on good terms with me, I must likewise return the sentiment." She held out her hand to the unicorn.

"So, business partners then?" Rarity's response was a radiant smile and an offering of her forehoof. Without hesitation, the two shook.

"Partners indeed." She agreed.

Outside Carousel Boutique, near City Hall, Dadab, Spike, and the rest of the Mane Six were gathered around a podium.

To the Grunt Deacon's opposite side, stood the Mayor of Ponyville.

Evidently word had spread of his and Ria's presence. The inhabitants were now eager to see and learn as much about the aliens as possible. With Ria occupied with Rarity, that left only one Unggoy for that job

Dadab stood nervously at the podium, his Deacon training and intelligence the only things preventing his Grunt side from breaking out and making him flee for the hills. His plasma pistol, and all armaments had been left at the Library in addition.

Seeing the size of the crowd, Dadab looked uncertainly at his new friends. Spike gave him two thumbs up, grinning confidently, while Twilight and the others smiled apologetically.

"Erm, me not so sure about this..." Dadab's legs began shaking involuntarily like a small leaf in a hurricane.

To everypony's surprise, Fluttershy approached Dadab, and gently laid a wing on his shoulder. "Don't worry, they seem to really like you." She said in her low, soothingly angelic voice. Her eyes looked into his with fierce intensity that shocked her friends, and secretly herself as well.

"You can do it! You had the courage to talk with us, even though we're complete strangers to you. If anypony can tell Equestria about your culture, it's you Dadab! _I believe_ you can do it!"

Underneath his mask, Dadab was grinning, taken aback at the sincerity of the mare's words. He almost felt his eyes get a little misty.

"I thank you, Fluttershy! You are a true friend, not a meanie like some in the Covenant. Poor grunts have few friends outside our own species, so friends like you are super-special to Dadab!"

Fluttershy felt like putting the alien in a bear hug, but her timid nature resisted the urge. Instead, she gave him a heartwarming smile, then rejoined the girls nearby.

"Citizens of Ponyville! I present to you, friendly alien, Deacon of the Covenant Empire, Dadab!" Mayor Mare announced in a loud, professional voice.

"Let's give our guest a warm welcoming, shall we everypony?"

The assembled ponies greeted Dadab with a chorus of applause, stamping their hooves in the ground, giving him a friendly wave of the hoof, or gawking at him curiously.

Dadab gave one final look to the others, who were all now giving him reassuring nods and uplifting smiles.

Kicking in the Deacon side of his brain, Dadab held up his hands. The crowd slowly quieted down.

"Thank you friends, Dadab thanks you all from the bottom of his heart! Umm.. Me uncertain of where to begin, so Dadab is simply going to answer your questions for now, okay?"

As Dadab and the citizens exchanged numerous words, the five mares and Spike watched him, amazed at how the grunt had changed so quickly from nervous timid Dadab, into master politician Dadab in no time at all.

Applejack patted Fluttershy gently on the shoulder, mimicking Fluttershy's gesture for Dadab just moments before. "That's a mite fine thing ya did for little ol' Dadab over there, Fluttershy!" She said with an approving smile.

Fluttershy smiled back shyly behind her mane. "Oh, we just all need a little encouragement from somepony every once in a while. It's the least I could do for him."

Twilight, AJ, and Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, while Pinkie Pie grinned at her.

"You have such a way with non-ponies, Flutters, it's positively amazing!" Rainbow noted, now hovering in the air.

"This is turning out to be an interesting, exciting day girls! Let's see to more rewarding days like this!" Twilight declared, as Rainbow Dash returned to the ground.

Everypony voice their agreement, and then together they returned to watching their newest friend. He was now engaging their fellow citizens with vigorous, exciting tales of space battles, descriptions of distant planets and moons, and accounts of the various treasures of the Forerunner the Covenant had found over the years.

Out in the distance, on the mostly deserted outskirts of Ponyville, a massive figure observed the crowd through the scope of a fuel rod cannon. Seeing the Unggoy at the podium, the Brute chuckled as he holstered the cannon over his back and brought his beloved hammer to bear in his hands.

The chuckle was half surprise, half amusement.

"An _Unggoy_? He must be a deserter of some kind? Maybe conspired with the Engineer. Time to deal with the little Heretic, and all else who may stand in my way!"

Slowly approaching the crowd, he growled to himself.

"For the glory of the Covenant!"


	7. Et Tu Brute?

Chapter 7: Et Tu Brute?

"Ohh! Mister Dadab? Mister Dadab?! _I_ have a question!" A young colt with a red coat and black mane in the crowd jumped into the air with excitement, trying to catch the Unggoy Deacon's attention.

Jumping was a universal gesture of cheerfulness and sociability in grunt society, and Dadab noticed the colt at once. Looking down at him from the podium he was presenting from, Dadab inclined his head curiously. "Yes?" He asked in a kindly, high-pitched voice.

"Is that big monkey man over there an alien too? Is he one of your friends from outer space?" The colt inquired, his voice almost as squeaky as Dadab's.

"Huh?" Dadab glanced quickly across the crowd into the distance. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all looked towards Carousel Boutique, assuming the colt was referring to Ria and Rarity, who were indeed leaving the shop and making their way over towards the crowd. They did not yet see what Dadab now noticed.

The Deacon shook in his armor once again today, as he saw the being marching up towards him.

The alien was a snow-furred juggernaut, his wicked hammer shifting from massive paw to massive paw like some bringer of the end of days. This was no ordinary Brute, that was for certain.

The crowd of townsfolk collectively gasped as the Jiralhanae titan drew nearer, before stopping to regard them with cruel, malice-filled eyes. The ponies returned his gaze with mixtures of fear, shock, and borderline panic.

Raising and pointing a thick finger at Dadab, the Brute finally uttered language. "Little Unggoy! Have _you_ been hiding the Engineer from _us_?!"

The gasping, combined with the Brute's clearly audible growl of a voice, caught the girls' attention. Twilight peered at the alien, trying to get a clearer view of his features. "I can't, _believe _it! Not one, not two, but _three_ aliens in one day? Princess Celestia will freak when she learns we made three friends all in one day... and space aliens at that!" The lavender unicorn could scarcely contain her own scientific curiosity and enthusiasm.

Pinkie Pie on the other hoof, begged to differ. "I'm not so sure about this one Twily! He looks like he's a barrel full of scary! And not in a fun way either, not like a barrel of apples, or a barrel of monkeys, even considering he looks like a huge monkey..." The normally jubilant mare's face was etched with uncertainty and worry.

"Umm, for once, I think I'm going to have to agree with Pinkie Pie on this un', sugarcube. That two-legged feller seems like bad apples to me." Applejack agreed.

Hovering in the air with her wings, Rainbow Dash glared at the distant giant with mistrust and slight distaste. "That monster better not try to do anything to harm Dadab or anypony, or there's going to_ be_ trouble!"

Nearby, Rarity and Ria froze in their tracks. Ria was already reading the Brute's body language, and upon seeing that Rarity's friends were likewise tensed up, the jackal now had enough evidence as to the situation. Quickly, she pulled out her needler and ignited her shield.

Rarity immediately noticed her new business partner's combat pose. Looking from Ria to the Brute and back again, she frowned in concern. "I say, dear! What has you in ever such a tense mood?"

Ria shook her weapon in the Brute behemoth's general direction. "The tall furry one you see over there? It is a Jiralhanae Captain! The Jiralhanae are the most savage warriors in all the Covenant. And he, seems to be hostile!"

Taking a closer look at the hammer wielding giant, Rarity could finally understand her friends' reason for alarm. "Come to think of it, that creature does look a bit like a Diamond Dog at first glance. I could believe anything resembling such an _uncouth_ ruffian would be a little trouble maker." The alabaster unicorn said with graceful certainty in her voice. "Or in this one's case, _big_ trouble maker..."

On Dadab's end of things, the situation was rapidly going from discomfort, to downright heart attack-inducing fear. The Brute lowered his finger, and then grasped his hammer with both hands. "TALK WHELP! BEFORE I START COLLECTING SKULLS!" He bellowed.

The poor ponies closest to him were certain the ape-like alien had just started an avalanche somewhere on the nearest mountain slope.

"Wha...? Me not sure you're talking a..abo...about!" Dadab quivered like a jellyfish as he attempted to reply. "Maybe...you have...wrong Unggoy? Yes?" The Brute gave him a death glare.

"Umm, okay maybe not..."

"Mighty Ferus tires of your tomfoolery, little runt!"

His paper-thin patience now run dry, the Brute roared and lunged over the crowd, hammer swinging through the air with a loud 'WHOOSH'.

The ponies beneath him scattered like leaves in the wind as he soared over them. Acting on instinct, Dadab shoves the Mayor out of harms way, before jumping out of the Brute's path just in time.

The podium and every piece of furniture around it was vaporized to splinters as the hammer's gravity drive exerted its force on the world around it. Turning around in quickly, Ferus snarled at the still living, but shaken, Dadab in contempt.

Without giving any prior warning other than a growl to rival the Ferus', Rainbow Dash soared at the large Jiralhanae, her cyan face contorted in pure anger. "Pick on someone your own size you dumb, giant walking sack of rotted Changeling flesh!"

The brute only understood around half of the insult, but it, coupled with the pegasus mare's sudden attack proved enough to make the warrior go bananas. In full berserk mode, Ferus was seeing half in red. Just as Rainbow was about to ram her hoof straight into his fortress of a chest, the brute fired off a five-round burst from a spiker he had drawn.

Three of the quill-like projectiles fortunately missed, but the two managed to find themselves buried in the bone of the cyan pegasus' right wing. She toppled to the grass and cobblestone with a pained yelp.

"_Rainbow!_" The girls and Spike shout in unison. Ferus looked up from the groaning pegasus to her friends. He giggled at them cruelly, a low grumble within his chest. Twilight and Pinkie Pie stood with their eyes widened in disbelief, Spike tried to hide behind Twilight's forelegs, and Applejack looked on at the Brute with unbridled loathing in her eyes. Fluttershy shook fearfully behind her mane. First safe chance she got, she would rush towards Rainbow Dash and get her as far away from the brute as her wings would allow.

Applejack stamped her hoof into the ground violently. "Y'all are gonna have to pay for that dearly now, stranger. Ain't no way, no how we're just gonna let you waltz on in here and start hurting ponies! Least of all, _our friends_!"

Ferus rewarded the farm pony's courage and duty to her friends with another unsettling chortle, this one sounding like the groaning of some massive old machine in need of a good oiling.

"Such fierce determination to protect such a worthless little creature as an Unggoy." The brute captain snorted, and spit upon the ground, causing Rarity to cringe in disgust nearby. "Such idiocy is beyond pity. This alone proves you whelps unworthy of Our Holy Covenant!"

For a few moments, he stood there, as if sizing them up to determine their possible nutritional value.

"PREPARE TO DIE, MEAT!"

In the precious seconds between Ferus' analysis of the girls, and his re-quipping of the gravity hammer, Dadab faced a moment of great courage. Staring at Fluttershy's scared-looking form nearby, her words from just moments before played back in his head.

"_I believe you can do it!"_

Putting not even a millisecond to waste, Dadab drew his pistol, and fired a charged shot. The hyper-charged plasma bolt buried itself in the white of Ferus's back, charring his coat and melting the flesh underneath. The giant savage yelped in pain, dropping his hammer in the process.

Seeing the fuel rod cannon strapped to the brute's back, Dadab got an idea.

He quickly leaped onto Ferus' shoulders, and clamped his hand on the trigger of the cannon. Dadab was also quick to turn of all audio sensors in his combat harness for a brief moment. The weapon discharged its deadly uranium bolt into the unoccupied grass nearby (The townsfolk were now long gone), creating a thundering boom that reduced Ferus' hearing to pure, ringing Tinnitus.

Taking advantage of the brute's momentary handicap, Dadab shouted to his friends, trying to imitate an Elite's tone of voice.

"Twilight, you go and get brave Rainbow, friend Spike, kind Fluttershy, and funny Pinkie Pie out of battle! Ria, you help Dadab distract bad guy while Applejack knocks Brute down..." Ferus growled, trying to shake the Unggoy off, but he held fast, clamping down on the brute's ears with his hands. "Okay?!"

AJ scraped at the grass defiantly with her forehoof. "I hear ya sugar cube. Give the word, and I'll have that overgrown monkey straight and felled as a dead ol' apple tree!"

Twilight, despite her wish to pay the Brute back for his unwarranted violence and destruction, did not argue. "I'll get everypony out to someplace safe. But as soon as they are safe, I'm coming back to help!" At that, Twilight picked up Rainbow Dash gently in her telekinetic aura. With a firm magic grip on the pegasus, Twilight looked to Fluttershy and Spike. "Guys! Come on! I'm teleporting us back to the Library!" Without hesitation or words, both grabbed on, and with a shining of her horn, the Librarian winked them all, Rainbow Dash included, out of the battle.

The Skirmisher chattered affirmatively as she rushed towards to Applejack's side. Looking back towards Rarity, she waved her needler in the air like a Sangheili field marshal ordering an infantry lance. "Stand with us and fight, or be on your way, partner!"

Rarity narrowed her eyes at the flailing Brute. "While I do not appreciate the arts of fighting and..._warfare_..." The word rolled of her tongue with distaste. "It will help to have some magic on your side, darling." The fashionista galloped after Ria.

Standing before the still struggling Ferus now was one very angered (and very, very strong) earth pony, a precise, graceful dressmaking unicorn, and a nimble, impossibly fast Kig-Yar warrior.

Just what could this combination, paired up with Dadab's smarts, accomplish?

The three were quick to make the answer quite clear. Flanking right, Ria fired her needler at the brute captain, the pink crystalline projectiles imbedding themselves almost harmlessly in his thick leathery skin beneath his coat of fur.

Simultaneously, Rarity used her magic to project protective shields around her compatriots. While not as powerful as Twilight's magic, the shields were certainly better than fighting with just bare skin or armor. In addition flanking to the left, she uses telekinesis to throw random debris: wood splinters, pebbles in the cobblestone, etc. at the brute.

Finally, fueled by adrenaline and primal rage, Ferus manages to throw Dadab off of him. The grunt lands with a loud, well, grunt, as he hits the ground. Ria and Rarity's combined attacks only served to enrage the massive Jiralhanae even more.

With one massive swing of his hammer straight to the ground, Ferus knocks Rarity and Ria away, who each make hard landings on the ground next to Dadab, who was still trying to regain his senses that had been knocked out of him. Rarity's now collapsed shields protected her and Ria from spraining or fracturing any bones.

Upon seeing that his hammer pounding did not reduce his enemies to pancakes as desired, Ferus finally gave into his primal urges. With reckless abandon, the brute ditches his own gravity hammer, and charges at the three on the ground.

Ferus was intent on finishing the job, with his own two hands. What he didn't account for, as his three would-be victims rolled out of the way, was the orange earth pony mare that had been trailing his backside blind spot the whole time.

With a quick, quiet cry of exertion, Applejack bucked him in the back with all the strength her hind legs could muster. She had been bucking apple trees since she had been a wee little filly, and every ounce of that physical labor on her muscles played out in that single attack. The pure kinetic energy likely did massive damage to the brute's back muscles, and even vertebrae.

Letting out another piercing yelp of pain, the behemoth toppled over like so many sacks of flour that had been poorly stacked upon one another. His fuel rod cannon clattered harmlessly to the ground near Dadab.

"How...I've failed... the Great Journey... Tartarus..." Ferus wheezed. Apparently Applejack's force had been enough to knock the air out of his lungs as well.

As the cruel brute warrior lay upon the cobblestone, trying to regain normal breathing, Dadab, Rarity, Applejack, and Ria surrounded him, looking down with angry gazes.

Suddenly, the brute seemingly fainted. Taking a long look at him, the four victors moved to approach what was left of the podium, to take stock of the damage Ferus had wrought. No one saw him move until he was already on them.

Seizing AJ by her neck, the brute roared in fury. "WORMS! DO YOU REALLY THINK JIRALHANAE FAINT? TWICE MORE YOU INSULT ME THIS DAY, NOW YOU WILL MEET THE FATE OF ALL WHO WOULD DEFY OUR COVENANT!"

He was now holding Applejack straight up in the air as he squeezed the life out of her. Rarity looked on helplessly in horror, discovering that her telekinesis was not enough to break the alien's steel grip.

Ria's response was to equip a weapon of which Rarity had not seen before, but Dadab recognized quite well. It was an energy baton, often used to keep unruly jackals and grunts in line, as well as the occasional Yanme'e drone. Ria now used the weapon for a much more nobler purpose.

Saving a friend in need.

Chattering wildly in her native language, Ria struck out at Ferus, first targeting his sides, then his actual arms. It worked. Reeling back from the burns and shocks the baton emitted, Ferus unceremoniously dropped Applejack to the ground. She now drew in air with long, ragged breaths. Rarity quickly rushed to her side as Ferus went after Ria, while Dadab kept his eyes glued to him and his friends' newfound menace from the stars.

Gazing at the alien that had fought to release her as Rarity fussed over her prone form, Applejack saw something inside Ria she couldn't detect back in the Library. A certain inkling of hers, as she regained her breath, was that Ria secretly valued those she kept close by, but she was reluctant to make it obvious. They would need to have a heart-to-heart chat sometime soon, Applejack noted.

Rarity followed up on Ria's attacks with a surprise move. Picking up the brute's fallen fuel rod cannon with her magic, the ordinarily civil, non-violent mare rammed the butt of the weapon straight into the brute captain's ugly mug as he attempted to stick Ria with a spike grenade, her shield gauntlet having collapsed moments ago under the barrage of his fists. The skirmisher felt a sharp pain in her torso, and figured a rib or two most have been damaged.

"That's a very important pony..er, person to me you're messing with, you _barbarian!_" Rarity barked. Ria felt something stir in her mind from those few words.

For the second time, Brute Captain Ferus fell to the ground. Rarity then floated the canon over to Dadab, who happily took the weapon in hand. Grabbing the now active grenade Ferus had drawn, Dadab shoved the spiked explosive right into the savage's chest.

"This one's for hurting friend Rainbow Dash!" He then grabbed one of Ferus's plasma grenades, repeating the process. "And this one's for... HURTING FRIEND APPLEJACK!"

He emitted a howling shriek when the fuse ended. The resulting explosion from the chain-reaction-detonated grenades on his belt sent him flying straight through the air.

Plotting out the flying brute's trajectory in his mind, Dadab: the Deacon-turned Unggoy warrior, shouldered the fuel rod cannon and fired. "Die devil!" He shouted.

The rounds were aimed, not at Ferus, but where he'll end up. Flawlessly, the fuel rod projectiles slam straight into the white-furred monster in succession, further hastening his flight straight into the Everfree.

When his large smoking form disappeared over the rooftops of the buildings, the Sun came out from behind a thick white cloud, shining brightly and radiantly on the four triumphant friends.

Now gathered around Applejack, Ria look down to the farm pony, her throat purring in concern. "Is this one alright? Shall we contact a physician of yours perhaps?" She now looked on to Rarity. Before she could reply, Twilight Sparkle winked back in from the Library.

"Dadab! What's going on now...Oh no, _Applejack_!" She rushed over to the still standing trio's side, trying to examine her friend for injury.

AJ looked up at them with a weak smile. "Ah'm fine, ah'm fine! Don'tcha go fussin' over me now, just a little throat ache, nothing to break your horn over Twi."

"Don't be ridiculous darling! That monster nearly killed you!" Rarity interjected. Twilight's eyes widened in horror at this.

"Yeah, _nearly_.We're it not fer our 'pirate' friend here, I'd been a goner! Ya have ma thanks, Ria. I'm sorry for doubting your good nature, that was awfully hasty unfair judgment on ma part."

Ria chuckled lightly. "You need not thank me young one. I am glad you have not blamed us for this one Jiralhnae's hostilities. As you can see, not all of us in the Covenant can be... civil. And, I admit... it is most, pleasing to me... that you were not seriously harmed." Ria issued the last part rather hastily.

Applejack stared at Ria knowingly, her smile widening a bit, even as Ria clamped her hand to her chest painfully.

"We need to get you guys back to the Library, so then I can see about getting you and Rainbow Dash to the Ponyville Hospital!" Twilight noticed the Kig-Yar's pained grimace. "And you too, Ria!"

They all gathered together around Applejack, as Ria offered a hand and pulled her up, ignoring the pain flaring in her own chest.

The battle weary friends all teleported together back to the Twilight's house, to see to the mending of injuries, and hopefully make lasting bonds, For with the appearance of Ferus, the game has been changed.


	8. Trixie's Experiment

"How goes the construction of the machine, engineer?" Inquired the silken, arrogant voice of Trixie, as she watched the floating Huragok go about its business within the cramped confines of her caravan. "It better be complete. Trixie's patience is not infinite!"

After a few more moments of slowly drifting about the focus of his work, Lighter Than Some turned to face the unicorn with his beady black eyes. He whistled affirmatively, and Trixie's face drew into a pleased grin.

"Excellent. Trixie possesses the power source we require for its activation." She proclaimed sweetly, approaching Lighter Than Some's new creation. Floating to make way for her, the engineer chirped in curiosity. His captor's unusually cheerful mood caused the Huragok to calm in her presence, and he was no longer in distress. This was a significant development for Lighter Than Some, especially when he took the unicorn's usually abhorrent behavior was taken into account.

Trixie noted the curiosity in the fragile alien's tone, and peered at him for a second. "Indeed, it was found in Canterlot, just as the Great and Powerful has promised." Using her telekinesis, Trixie opened up her saddlebags and brought out the object to show to Lighter Than Some.

"Behold, engineer, the might and majesty that is, the Alicorn Amulet!" As Trixie announced it dramatically, a thunderclap from the rainstorm erupted outside and lightning flashed through the window, briefly illuminating Trixie's face in the dimness of the caravan.

Lighter Than Some glowed purple briefly, as Trixie floated the amulet to one of his tentacles. It was of elegant design, with a rather dark color palette in mind. The silver and black head of a red-eyed Alicorn jutted out from the central piece of the necklace, with the Alicorn's raven black and red wings spread out symmetrically on either side. The center housed the source of the amulet's power, a polished red ruby inlaid in the darkened silver, which itself almost seemed to flow, as if alive, across the surface.

Lighter Than Some twirled the powerful artifact around in his tentacles thoughtfully, humming quietly to himself. Trixie watched him inspect it for awhile impatiently. Then, as her patience finally waned, she said, "Enough pandering to your idle curiosity, engineer. Insert the new power source into the device!" She motioned her foreleg towards the strange object near them. "Trixie wishes to see that it actually works."

Obediently, the Huragok complied. Floating back over to his creation, he inspected the object and looked for the power receptacle.

The machine itself was surprisingly simplistic in its design, consisting almost entirely of a glimmering silvery box, about half the size of Trixie and Lighter Than Some's bodies. The silver surface was immaculate and played host to several glowing magical runes and arcane symbols, while the top was dominated by a small circular opening, the natures of which only Trixie and the Huragok could know in detail.

Dextrously, Lighter Than Some navigated the bulk of the Alicorn Amulet towards the receptacle, a small rectangular opening on the box's side. Almost at once, the surface of the box seemed to sense the presence of the artifact, and the opening shape changed to mirror that of the Amulet almost perfectly.

As Trixie looked on impressed, the Huragok inserted the Alicorn Amulet, and the glowing runes on the box's sides pulsed with an even greater vigor, casting rays of blue light all across the room.

Grinning once again as she scrutinized the machine, Trixie said, "You've done well, Lighter Than Some." She raised a hoof to his head to rub him affectionately. He tensed slightly, but did not retreat from her.

"See? Trixie can be kind and generous to those who obey and assist her, my dear." She cooed, before her voice began to accommodate a hint of malice. "However, the Great and Powerful Trixie, has no tolerance for those who should fail in their duty to her. Do you understand?"

Lighter Than Some hummed softly in agreement, while Trixie approached the machine. She looked from the schematics papers on the floor to the actual machine, and nodded with her eyes closed, satisfied. Humming triumphantly, Trixie ran her other hoof over its energized, pulsating surface. She could sense the mysterious mechanisms working within, and the energy of the Alicorn Amulet surging into her. Trixie's grin only grew.

Looking from the machine and then to the Huragok, her magenta eyes began to glow an ethereal red. Lighter Than Some curled up slightly in fear at the sight, before Trixie averted her gaze from him and made her way towards the door.

Not looking at him, she declared, "Now that Trixie knows the machine works, it is time to find a suitable...guinea pig for Trixie to test it upon." She turned to face her alien assistant one final time. "I have seen one of your compatriots, not of the two here, but one from the spacecraft, land nearby after a series of explosions near Ponyville."

This caught Lighter Than Some's attention, and he emitted a whistle of surprise, to which Trixie nodded. "Indeed, my floating little minion. Your Covenant have arrived to try and retrieve you. If the strange book Trixie managed to steal from that fool Discord is correct, you must be very important to them."

Recalling the events on Harvest, Lighter Than Some hummed plaintively. For a moment, Trixie's eyes returned to normal and she approached him again. "Oh, fear not my dear, it will be all right." Suddenly, her eyes glowed once more, and she smiled almost sadistically. "By the time they see what remains of this 'guinea pig' when the Great and Powerful is concluded with her experiments, so great will their fear be, that they will be swift in their egress from our skies, never to be seen again!"

Trixie finished her statement off with a bout of cruel giggling, before turning her back on Lighter Than Some again and bursting outside into the rain-soaked Everfree Forest, slamming the door ominously behind her.

Watching Trixie gallop away through her caravan's small window, with only the quiet purr of his creation to keep him company, Lighter Than Some was unsure of whether to be relieved, or paranoid, from the Unicorn's declaration.

Far from the treacherous marshes and shadowy vales of the Everfree, Twilight Sparkle, Dadab, Rarity and the others were dealing with the aftereffects from the Brute Ferus' sudden and unprovoked attack.

After having given everyone a few moments to rest and regain their bearings at the Golden Oak Library, Twilight had rushed Rainbow Dash, Ria, and Applejack to Ponyville General Hospital post haste. The former had both protested, while Applejack had gone along with little argument.

It was the mid evening now, and Spike, Dadab, and Twilight were both all outside the room where the three were being looked at, sitting around tensely in the waiting room. A special guest was arriving to address the entire affair of alien life appearing in Equestria, directly, and it was up to Twilight to greet them. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie in the meantime, were inside with the others, as well as one of the staff, one, Nurse Redheart.

The three mares were working alongside Redheart, doing whatever they could to help out. Fluttershy was adept with treating injuries from her years of work with animals, and Rarity used her observant eye to help the Nurse find specific points of injury, while Pinkie Pie mainly tried to keep the situation pleasant for everyone.

Redheart bustled efficiently about the sterile, white, but still surprisingly warm and cozy hospital room. In no time, she had Applejack put into a reclined position, so that her bruised neck could slowly mend itself, while Pinkie Pie kept her occupied with some of her silly stories. AJ tried her best not to roll her eyes as the party pony rambled on.

Coming next to Rainbow Dash, the process was a bit more complicated for Nurse Redheart. With Rarity's telekinetic assistance, she and Fluttershy had to restrain Rainbow slightly as they pulled each spiker round from the bone and membrane of the pegasus' wing. Rarity cringed in horror as the last of the two inch spikes were pulled out along with a few drops of blood, all the while Rainbow Dash stifled a scream.

"Ow, owwww! Just leave em' in! Leave em' in, dammit!"

Fluttershy hushed her, and spoke in as best a reassuring voice as she could. "Rainbow, its alright, they're all pulled out now. The pain should numb away gradually."

"Gah, buck that hurt! If that oversized monster is still alive somehow, I'm gonna rip him to shreds when I find him!" Dash muttered through gritted teeth. Applejack heard the commotion from the other side of the bed curtain and started to moved in a worried fashion, but Pinkie Pie doubled her efforts in distracting her, to great effect.

Redheart had conducted the entire removal procedure with a neutral, professional gaze, but it was now stone cold stern. "Rainbow Dash, you will do no such thing. By doctors' orders, none of you three are to engage in any physically demanding activities for an entire week." Rainbow attempted to argue, but Redheart's expression as she moved to continue her work indicated it was not at all up for debate. With the spikes removed and disposed of, Redheart and Fluttershy wrapped Rainbow's heavily injured wing carefully in gauze, set the bones back into their proper order, and put the entire appendage in a sling.

"Ah, well there we are." Redheart proclaimed with a sight of relief, rubbing her hooves together. The Nurse's bright pink mane, formerly in a bun, was now loose and frilly from trying to work against Rainbow Dash's struggle, as well as having to deal with the mare's repeated attempts to argue.

With Rainbow Dash treated and left to stare worriedly at her wing, Redheart set about the next task. "Now, onto the...whatever Ria is supposed to be." She mumbled under her breath.

Rarity and Fluttershy followed her over to Ria's section. The Kig-Yar looked odd, the way she slouched as she sat up in the hospital bed. Having heard the ruckus in Rainbow's section of the room, Ria was feeling slightly uneasy as the three examined her chest dubiously. Her armor and shield gauntlet had been removed and set on a table at the foot of the bed. Upon returning to Twilight's library, Ria had discovered her needler apparently spent of ammunition, and she had promptly tossed the now useless weapon into some bushes on her way to the Hospital.

"Ria, is there anything you can tell us about your people's anatomy and physiology, such as the configuration of your bone structure, perhaps? Normally I would give you an x-ray, but for all I know, that might melt you or something."

Ria shook her head. "I am no Kig-Yar healer, but what I do know is that our bones are hollow, given our natural agility."

Fluttershy's face lit up slightly behind the shadowy veil of her pink mane. "Hollow boned? So are birds and Pegasi like me and Rainbow Dash!"

Rarity looked at her with confusion as to the relevancy of the fact, while Nurse Redheart however already understood its significance. "Wonderful news then, we should be able to set your damaged ribs back into place with the same materials we use to heal Pegasi who get injured in flight while doing them weather jobs. You're in luck alien." Redheart winked reassuringly at Ria, then dashed to another corner of the room, gathering what she needed from a cabinet.

Unsure of what to expect, Ria gulped. Rarity noticed the jackal's apprehension and patted her on the shoulder gently. "Don't worry, darling. Redheart's one of the most capable medical mares in all Equestria. If anyone can heal an injured creature previously unknown to science such as yourself, it's her."

After a few more seconds passed, Redheart appeared around the curtain with an abnormally large syringe. "Now, we're going to have to put you under first, or else its really gonna be painful."

"I just don't understand it." Twilight declared, pacing the room. Beside her, Spike and Dadab sat together on a bench, watching her go back and forth.

"The two of you appear and are as peaceful as ever, erm...mostly. Then, another of a different species appears and starts attacking us for seemingly no apparent reason?" The lavender unicorn looked at Dadab with incredulity. "Just what in the world is going on with your Covenant? Are they a civilization of _crazies?_"

Spike held up a hand to Twilight, stopping her pacing. "Whoa, c'mon Twi, that might be a bit too...broad, don't you think?" Twilight looked as if she wanted to debate, but Spike raised an eyebrow.

In the time since he blew the attacking Jiralhanae straight out of Ponyville with high explosives, Dadab had been experiencing a massive mental conflict, which caused him to be incredibly delayed in his own response to Twilight's inquiry. Finally collecting his thoughts on the matter, Dadab prepared to speak, but something, or rather somepony cut him off.

"Spike is correct, Twilight. We should ensure we have clear knowledge of the matter, before we jump to any serious conclusions." A regal voice proclaimed smoothly.

All three turned their eyes and saw the form of Princess Celestia enter into the largely empty waiting room. Two guards followed her in and took position at the entryway. The rest of their detachment were already scouring around town, in search of any evidence of other potentially hostile, hammer-wielding monsters.

"I..." Twilight sighed, and rubbed at her neat mane. "Your right Princess, I'm sorry everyone. It's just that it was all so sudden, right out of the blue! The creature seemed almost as if he were possessed. It's a miracle no one else was hurt."

Celestia smiled as much as the seriousness of the situation would allow her to. Regardless, the smile still managed to appear warm and radiant. "I'm sure our friend Dadab here forgives you, isn't that so?" The white alicorn turned her gaze to Dadab, who was experiencing the same feeling he would get when seeing the Prophets in person from afar, given the way that the Alicorn towered over him.

"Huh? Please forgive poor Dadab, Holy One. I take no offense in boss Twilight's words. Jiralhanae attack me, a Covenant deacon for no reason! Me not sure about Shipmistress, but I'm not part of the crazy Covenant any longer, me understand now why grunt ancestors rebelled years ago."

This seemed to trouble the Princess, as things were beginning to sound like the perfect ingredients for what could become a diplomatic incident. "Dadab, could you please inform me as to how you and your compatriots arrived here, especially the one that threatened some of my own citizens?" Although the word 'please' was used, it was clear to Dadab that her question was not a mere request.

Getting out of his seat and carefully formulating his words, Dadab responded, "I'm not sure how Jiralhanae arrived, likely by spaceship. Me and Ria practically woke up here, Dadab theorizes it may be slipspace, faster-than-light teleportation, but me not sure exactly how."

"Spaceship? So there are more of you then?" Celestia inquired quickly and urgently.

"Teleportation, without magic, through outer space?" Spike murmured to himself, his eyes lighting up in wonder at how such a thing were possible.

"Most likely, unless brute attacker fly in on some tiny ship, but that's unlikely. Bad guy shouted something about an engineer, a Covenant race we call Huragok being missing on your planet, so it could be an assault carrier."

"A _warship_, in orbit above our planet! How could our astronomers not have detected it? What if they are all hostile like the last Jiralhanae?" Twilight inquired worriedly.

Dadab shrugged helplessly. "Day approach, light pollution maybe? Dadab not so sure. Covenant at war with another species, could explain bad guy's short temper, but after what I have seen, Dadab wants no part in the Covenant."

Celestia gently tapped her hoof down on the tiled floor, catching Dadab's attention. "Will they simply leave, if they fail to find this, 'Huragok' as you call it?" The Princess' regal smile disappeared, and her pleasant face hardened sternly. "Please know Dadab, that Equestria cannot afford to risk going into a war with a civilization that can travel through space. The damage that they could wrought here in a single day alone, would be catastrophic."

Shuffling nervously, Dadab looked at the concern faces of Spike, Celestia, and Twilight. "I'm not sure one hundred percent, but with the war with the Humans beginning, me theorize that they will have to give up their search sooner or later, and then they will leave us in peace."

"And what of yourselves?" Celestia pressed on. "Are they not looking for you as well?"

On this matter, Dadab was certain. "No, we supposed to be dead. Shipmistress disappeared when our ship, Minor Transgression went bye-bye. Me remember being crushed by hammer of another Jiralhanae, after I fought him with this." Dadab pointed a stubby finger at his plasma pistol. "In all honesty, I'm not so sure what I do next, or what will happen. All Dadab know is that he does not want to deal with or return to Covenant anymore, Great Journey can be obtained some way else."

With that said, Celestia abandoned her stern expression, and her demeanor became tender again. "Thank you for being straightforward and sincere with me, Dadab. If it is indeed true that they shall take leave of our world soon, then all the better that you and your Shipmistress Ria stay here, for otherwise you would carry knowledge of our world to your warring peoples."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, before continuing. "To be straight forward with you, Dadab, I would rather the Covenant not know of this planet, and that includes whoever they're fighting, and whatever other space faring species that may exist out there. With the 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast incident from a few years back in mind, this world is far from being ready to make first contact. Simply having you two here is risky enough."

While the Unggoy expressed his agreement, Spike said, "Welp, looks like you and the bird lady are stuck here _forever_, pal."

In response, Dadab hopped once and sniffed at the air, before replying."Dadab understands, I am happy with this. But where do we stay, Holy One? Me need place to get methane, so having a unicorn around would be nice."

"Please, please! You may call me Celestia, it will suffice." The Alicorn replied, slightly flustered by the grunt's choice of words. "Perhaps Twilight or some of her friends could make accommodations? If not, I would be more than happy to provide you a space in the Castle."

"I could probably make room for one or the both of you, until a more permanent solution is made." Twilight said, after a moment's thought. Dadab nodded graciously at her. "Now that I think about it, Rarity apparently might be willing to grant a room to Ria, if their whole business agreement falls through..." At that, the grunt nodded furiously.

Spike approached Dadab from behind, and tapped him on the back, causing the Unggoy to jump around in fright, nearly dropping his rebreather mask to the floor. Spike stared at him funny, then quickly recovered, grinning. "Looks like you and I are going to be roommates. I hope you enjoy sorting through books and running errands five days out of the seven!" He said mischievously under his breath.

Celestia smiled at the three, before making her way towards the hospital room where the others still stayed. "Come now, let's see how everyone's holding up. I promised the Mayor I would check to make sure you were all doing well." All four of them made their way into the room. Celestia immersed herself in conversation with Nurse Redheart about her three patients, while everyone else discussed the specifics of the afternoon's tumultuous events.

Trixie dropped the alien's massive body onto the floor of her caravan with an immense thud. Looking around the interior of her caravan, Trixie used her magic to close the door, and to dry herself and the body she had brought in with her.

It had taken almost all the energy the Alicorn Amulet had provided her to carry the furred bipedal beast, but now he was here, and taking up a large amount of floor space. Seeing the engineer toying around with something in the far corner, Trixie addressed him.

"Trixie found him just where she expected, an impact crater near a camp full of purple containers and some of the little crab-looking aliens. Lighter Than Some, does this beast still live? He is useless for Trixie's experiment unless he still draws breath."

The engineer ceased whistled musically and began scanning the Jiralhanae, reading his vitals. The aliens' hide and fur were horrendously burnt, and several of his bones were either dislocated or completely shattered. What little equipment that remained, the brutes bandoliers and weapon straps, were fused to his body.

The first scan came up inconclusive. "Well, is it or is it not alive?" Trixie demanded. Lighter Than Some hummed in frustration, then ran the scan again.

Finally, and impossibly, the results came up positive. The brute's heart was still pumping blood, and brain activity was slight, but largely dormant. It was almost as if the creature's body was in a state of extreme hibernation, likely a survival mechanism.

Turning to face her, Trixie noticed that Lighter Than Some had some new device she had not seen before, strapped to his side. "What is that, Engineer?"

To her complete and utter shock, a deep baritone voice emitted from the Huragok's new apparatus. "This one is alive, but barely. By all rights, its body shouldn't even still be in one piece, Great and Powerful One."

"You...can talk." Trixie declared, leaning back and lifting her foreleg. Lighter Than Some merely looked at her and blinked his beady little black eyes. Trixie quickly recovered, and regained her default haughty gaze. "Nevertheless, it is inconsequential. Let us begin with our experiment. Help me activate the machine."

"Of course." Lighter Than Some replied. His new voice device faltered slightly, and the baritone voice assumed a comically high pitch, similar to that of a filly's. "As you say."

Both of them made their way to the machine, Trixie telekinetically dragging the disfigured, unconscious body of Captain Ferus. "Let the experiment begin!" Trixie exclaimed with a truly malevolent cackle.

Lighter Than Some made sure that the Alicorn Amulet was still in place and functioning properly, while Trixie tapped her horn on the runes circling the opening on the top surface of the cube. Both the Amulet, the cube, and Trixie began to pulse with an ominous red aura.

Fazed by the sudden light show, Lighter Than Some reeled back and hummed urgently, his voice alternating between deep and high pitched. "Oh dear, this one hopes it has not doomed us all."

Trixie grinned and continued her cackle as her eyes lit up pure white with energy, while her silvery mane billowed in an nonexistent wind. The azure unicorn then directed her building aura at the prone form of the brute. "Now, let us see what this can truly do!"

In a jolt, the brute managed to regain consciousness. He roared with a piercing intensity that threatened to shake the wooden walls apart. Despite Ferus' apparent muscular and skeletal damage, his body was able to stand upright as the scarlet-crimson aura engulfed his form. Ferus attempted to reach out and attack the Unicorn, but it was impossible. Reaching a critical mass, the eyes of the brute lit up like Trixie's, and then the built up energy released all at once.

In a flash of light, smoke, and nose, Trixie's experiment ceased. Her body was quivering with the massive amount of new power she now wielded, supplemented by what she had just extracted from the brute. As an afterthought, the Great and Powerful Trixie looked down at what remained of the Jiralhanae.

Watching from a corner, Lighter Than Some said, "It would appear the machine is...a success...oh Great and Powerful Trixie..." The Huragok's simulated voice stammered from his sheer shock at his creation's true abilities.

"Indeed. As I have said, you've done well, my floating friend." Trixie levitated something she had brought in with her alongside the brute's body. She dropped the massive gravity hammer on the floor in front of Lighter Than Some. "Since you like to tinker, feel free to toy around with this beast's weapon all you want, Trixie's reward to you. Now, you must excuse Trixie, she has some cleaning to do, and more plans to make!"

Trixie set about her task, chuckling, then humming a pleasing melody as she teleported the brute away and erased the scorch marks on her floor. "First, a message to those meddlers of why they need to leave this planet right this instant, then it will soon be time to deal with that accursed Twilight Sparkle!"

Tartarus and the Prophet of Regret were in one of the muster bays of their starship, overseeing the deployment of the third lance of Unggoy, Kig Yar and Sangheili infantry down to the camp Ferus had established in the Everfree.

"Tartarus, would you mind indulging me as to why your supposedly most elite warrior has suddenly gone _missing?_" Regret shouted, slamming his fist down on the armrest of his chair.

The Chieftain growled irritably at him, holding a plate of slow-roasted thorn beast in one of his massive palms. "Perhaps he has gone native. I said he was my most elite, but not exactly my most disciplined." He took a bite of the meat, smacking his lips together in a most impolite manner.

"The Council does not settle for failure, Chieftain. If you and your forces cannot succeed in locating this Huragok soon, I will be forced to replace you with someone who can! If neither these lances nor Ferus report in that they have the engineer in hand within five days, I will..." Regret was interrupted by a loud bang.

In the center of the gravity lift platform, a massive discharge of red energy broke out. As soon as it dissipated, something emerged, carrying with it the smell of burnt flesh, that was _not_ coming from Tartarus' meal. Regret let out a scream, almost falling out of his gravity throne.

"By the Gods!" Tartarus spit out the hunk of meat he had been chewing, his stomach nearly doing a barrel roll in his abdomen. Several nearby Unggoy crate movers fled the room in terror, screaming and shouting at the tops of their lungs, their elite overseers chasing angrily after them.

The gravity lift was now littered with the heavily charred remains of Ferus. Half of his body was now virtually nonexistent, having been burned away by forces neither Covenant leaders could begin to fathom.

The Prophet's reaction was instantaneous. "_TARTARUS!_ Go to the bridge and plot a slipspace jump back to High Charity at once! Have your crew expunge and destroy all records of this star system's location from our data banks, leave no trace!"

"But...but Holy One, what of the munitions and personnel still on the surface?" Tartarus inquired in exasperation.

Regret slammed his fist down again. "Just do it! Those warriors knew what they were doing the moment they took their oaths, let them die fighting whatever lurks down there. It would bring more honor than for them to die at the hands of the Heretics elsewhere! We cannot afford to unleash yet another vicious race upon us in this war, humans are enough!"

Tartarus pounded his own fist to his chest, bowing and clutching the head of the Fist of Rukt. "Of course, noble Prophet." With his order in place, Regret floated out down a corridor, heading to his private chambers, shouting down anyone unfortunate enough to cross his chair's flight path.

Tartarus watched the San 'Shyuum disappear with a sneer. With his appetite lost, Tartarus threw the rest of the thorn beast down near the corpse of the brute captain. At the top of his lungs, he roared, "Dispatch a cleaning detail here at once!" He then made his way hastily to the bridge, muttering angrily to himself


End file.
